BENGALURU :This Christmas, don’t leave out just cookies for Santa Claus. Here’s a range of easy and delicious festive goodies to whip up at home
Ingredients
Indian
spice wine soaked in raisins over night: 120ml
Dry spice like star anise, cinnamon: 10gm
Honey: 5ml
Orange zest: 3
Mulled wine
Method
Combine overnight soaked raisins, red wine, brandy, star anise, cinnamon, coves and orange slices in a saucepan and stir
Heat on medium flame until wine reaches a simmer
Reduce heat to low and let the wine simmer for 10-15 minutes
Use a strainer to take out the orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise
Serve warm and garnish with smoked cinnamon
– By Rudra, executive chef, The Reservoire
Eggnog
Ingredients
Eggs: 2
Sugar: 30ml
Rum, Bourbon or Brandy: 60ml
Whole milk: 180ml
Heavy cream: 60ml
Garnish: Grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick torched
Method
Beat the egg yolks with 3 tablespoons sugar until fluffy.
Stir in milk, heavy cream and spirit of choice.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
Divide between four rocks glasses or punch or tea cups.
Garnish each with freshly grated nutmeg.
– By Robert Hospet, beverage manager, Embassy Leisure
Candy cane ice cream
Ingredients
Vanilla ice cream: 1 litre
Peppermint extract: 1/2tsp
Peppermint candy
canes: 2
Red food colouring:
A few drops
Method
Blend everything, except the red colour, in a mixer.
Then add a few drops of the red colour to the ice cream and swirl it with a stick.
Freeze in the refrigerator and enjoy!
– By Anushree Kanoria and Archana Kanoria, chefs and co-founders, Dough Re Mi
Cheesy Christmas Tree
Ingredients
Cream cheese: 200gm
Cheddar (or any other cheese): 300gm
Ground mustard: 1/2tsp
Fine chopped onion: 2-3 tbsp
Bbq sauce, red chilli sauce or any other sauce
Chopped parsley: half cup
Almond slivers or pine nuts: handful
Bell peppers, red and yellow: 1 tbsp
Crackers
Method
Soften the cream cheese and shred the cheddar.
Mix the two cheeses, onion, ground mustard and pepper sauce.
Make a ball and refrigerate till it’s firm enough to shape. Once done, take it out, place it on a butter paper or a platter and shape it like a Christmas tree.
If you want to use it for later, just put it in the freezer and before decorating, thaw it for a few hours in the refrigerator on the day you want to use.
If using immediately, roll the tree in finely chopped parsley until fully coated. Press almond slivers or pine nuts on the tree as string of lights.
Put bell pepper pieces as ornaments.
Cut a star from a slice of cheddar to top the tree. Serve with crackers and enjoy!
– By Sneha Vachhaney, home chef, (@snehavachhaney)
Christmas Stollen
Ingredients
For the fruit mix
Rum: 200 g
Orange peel:250 g
Almonds: 250 g
Raisins: 500 g
For the stollen
Flour: 375 g
Yeast: 60 g
Milk: 250 g
Flour: 720 g
Butter: 340 g
Salt: 10 g
Stollen spice:20 g
Marzipan: 60 g
Eggs: 190 g
Method
Mix the orange peel, roasted almonds, raisins, and rum together store in an airtight container for a week.
Make a starter dough with 375 gm flour, yeast and warm milk. Let it rest for 30 minutes in a warm area.
Prepare the final dough with the remaining ingredients and the starter dough. Add the soaked fruits.
Divide the dough into two and let it rest for an hour.
Bake the bread at 190 degrees centigrade for 35 minutes.
Brush the cake with melted butter and sprinkle caster sugar.
Store in an airtight container in acool place.
– By Naveenprasad Shetty, executive pastry chef, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru